Search

This year, a terrible calamity has befallen Cinco de Mayo – there is a shortage of limes! Apparently, the harsh winter from which we have all just emerged decimated the lime crop in Mexico, our biggest supplier of those beautifully tart little gems. As a result, limes will be hard to come by, and if you do happen to find them, they’ll tend to be small, juice-less and more expensive than diamonds.

“So, what’s this have to do with me?” you might very well ask. Well think about this – how about a nice, cold Corona to go with those chips and salsa? Oops, sorry, no cute little lime wedge to squeeze into the top of the bottle. Would you like some fresh, creamy guacamole to go with those nachos? No can do, can’t make the guac without freshly squeezed lime juice. OK, forget the Corona, maybe a salty margarita on the rocks instead? That would be a big N.O. – as in NO lime juice and NO lime slice. This is too much, give me a shot of tequila! Sure, here’s your salt, here’s your shot, here’s your wedge of li….. oh yeah, no.

As one journalist put it, it’s a LIMEPOCALYPSE! And it’s not just the Mexican food that’s been affected. Think of a world with no key lime pie, no Thai noodles with lime peanut sauce, and I absolutely refuse to garnish my gin & tonics with a slice of lemon. A part of my palate is dying just thinking about it.

Fortunately, I was able to snatch up a couple of pathetically minuscule limes for my Cinco de Mayo recipes, including these deliciously festive cupcakes. A nice, light lime-flecked Corona cupcake, topped with a heady tequila lime buttercream. So quick and easy to make, these cupcakes are simply subLIME!

CORONA CUPCAKES

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup Corona beer

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

grated peel from 1 lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add 4 cups confectioners sugar, lime juice, salt and tequila, mixing at low speed until combined, then at high speed until light and fluffy, adding more sugar if needed until desired consistency is reached. Frost as desired, and sprinkle with grated lime peel.